1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for analyzing the optical characteristics of an object under consideration. More specifically, the present invention relates to interferometer analysis.
2. Discussion of Background Information
Interferometers are used to measure optical characteristics (such as the contours and depth of a surface) of objects such as mirrors and lenses that transmit and/or reflect light. Interferometers typically examine wave fronts of light reflected by or transmitted from an object to generate wave front maps of the object under inspection. One class of interferometers combines an image of the object under inspection with a spatial heterodyne beam to map “fringes” onto the object under inspection and retrieving wavefronts using a Fourier filtering processes. This process is known as SHIFT.
The fundamentals of SHIFT based interferometry is shown in FIG. 1, in which an incoming light beam 110 from a point source 105 and collimating lens 107 is incident on an object under inspection 115, in this case a mouse-shaped mirror. The reflected light beam 120 is made incident (either by the object 115 under inspection alone or with additional optics such as focusing lens 130) on an imaging sensor 125, such as a CCD. As shown in the rotated view of the imaging sensor 125, an image of object under inspection 115 is formed on the surface of the imaging device. This image will be combined with an angular heterodyne beam 150 for subsequent interferometric analysis.
Typical monochromatic or snapshot interferometers have no reference or zero plane, and thus rely upon relative calculations as opposed to absolute calculations. Thus, such an interferometer will be able to conduct a relative measurement of two adjacent points on a surface to detect a discontinuity. However, because there is no reference plane, the interferometer cannot detect in which direction the discontinuity leads. For example, if the object under inspection had the shape of upward stairs, the interferometer could recognize that each step represented a discontinuity relative to adjacent steps, but would not know if any particular step was an upward step or a downward step.
To overcome this problem, so-called phase shifting interferometers were developed. These interferometers would examine an object under inspection from several different vantage points, often referred to as a push/pull process. At each vantage point, the discontinuity in the object under inspection would present a different wave front to the interferometer. By analyzing the different wave fronts from the different vantage points, the phase shifting interferometers could effectively identify both the discontinuity and its direction. A drawback of these systems, however, was that each of the additional measurements (taken at different points in time) was individually subject to the effects of ambient noise (e.g., vibrations) that would be different from one measurement to the next.
Efforts have been made to overcome the above drawbacks by creating a hologram that allows for the various measurements to be taken at the same time but at different points in space. The multiple optical observations are then performed electronically from the hologram without the injection of outside temporal noise. However, the examination and analysis is all based on the image of the object under inspection. Also, even though only one snapshot is taken of the object under inspection, the analysis still requires examination of that snapshot from four physical spaces.
Collections of objects that imitate a larger unitary object present more complex obstacles. One known example of this is the James Webb telescope under construction for orbital deployment to supplement the Hubble program. The diameter of the reflective mirror for this telescope is several times larger than that used by Hubble, thus providing it with much greater capabilities than Hubble. Since a single mirror of this size cannot be launched into space with current space platforms, the mirror is being constructed of smaller abutting hexagonal mirrors that will collectively operate akin to a single large mirror. In such a system, accuracy of alignment of the discrete elements is paramount, but presents challenges.
Specifically, interferometric measurements generate fringe patterns on the object under inspection. FIG. 3A shows such fringe patterns on a hexagonal object under inspection. However, when dealing with adjacent elements, the fringe patterns may be out of alignment such as shown in FIG. 3B. It is unclear whether fringe line 310 aligns with any of fringe lines 320, 330, 340, etc. Known methods for addressing this ambiguity essentially rely upon application of an independent algorithm to the analysis, but this algorithm produces only a “best guess” with questionable accuracy absent providing additional light sources and inducing resulting complications to the instrument.